A widespread outage disrupted several Microsoft platforms, including Outlook, Teams and Copilot, leaving users facing problems with email access and other Microsoft 365 services.

The disruption affected Outlook users who reported difficulty loading their inboxes and sending or receiving emails. According to outage tracker Downdetector, nearly 130,000 users reported problems accessing Outlook shortly after 1 pm ET on Thursday. The number of reports later declined, although issues continued for some users. 

Microsoft investigates Exchange Online disruption

Microsoft said it was investigating problems affecting its email and Teams services. The company acknowledged that users were experiencing difficulties accessing Exchange Online mailboxes through multiple connection methods in the Americas.

Microsoft later said part of its infrastructure was experiencing elevated load, which it believed was contributing to connectivity problems. It also identified servers that had become unexpectedly unavailable after failing automated checks.

The company said it was testing a fix and working to reduce the impact of the disruption.

Teams, Copilot and Microsoft 365 also affected

The outage was not limited to Outlook. Thousands of users also reported problems with Microsoft Teams and Copilot, while other Microsoft 365 services experienced disruptions.

Microsoft had earlier said that issues affecting Teams in North America had been successfully restored, although some users continued to report connectivity problems.

The wider disruption was linked to Exchange Online and shared Microsoft 365 infrastructure, affecting users across multiple regions. More recent Microsoft updates indicated that some restored servers could become unresponsive again after receiving traffic, prompting the company to explore additional recovery measures.

No confirmed cause announced

Microsoft had not provided a definitive root cause for the server failures in the initial updates. The company was continuing to investigate the infrastructure problems and test measures to restore affected services.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has resigned from his position, marking a major leadership change at the world’s leading artificial intelligence chipmaker. The company’s board has appointed Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress as interim CEO while it begins the process of finding a permanent successor.

The development comes amid controversy surrounding reports of Huang’s alleged extramarital relationships, including one involving a Chinese businesswoman suspected by US authorities of having links to espionage activities.

Huang’s departure comes after more than three decades at the helm of Nvidia, the company he co-founded in 1993. His leadership helped transform the business from a graphics chip manufacturer into a dominant supplier of processors powering the global artificial intelligence industry.

Colette Kress appointed interim Nvidia CEO

Following Huang’s resignation, Nvidia’s board appointed Colette Kress as interim chief executive officer.

Kress, who has served as Nvidia’s executive vice president and CFO since September 2013, will continue to hold the finance portfolio alongside her interim leadership responsibilities until a permanent successor is appointed.

Before joining Nvidia, she spent nearly 25 years working in finance roles at major technology companies, including Cisco and Microsoft.

The board has said it will consider both internal and external candidates as part of its search for a permanent CEO.

Nvidia has also appointed Harvey C. Jones as the company’s first-ever chairman of the board.

Affair controversy surrounding Jensen Huang

Huang’s resignation follows a series of reports about alleged extramarital relationships that have raised questions about his position at the company.

One of the controversies involves Alice Huang, a Chinese businesswoman whom US intelligence agencies reportedly suspect of involvement in facilitating shipments of Nvidia chips to Chinese companies.

Another report alleged that Huang had a relationship with Kimberly Powell, Nvidia’s vice president of healthcare, who reportedly worked under him.

Huang had earlier acknowledged being unfaithful to his wife in a message to Nvidia employees, taking responsibility for his actions and apologising to his family and colleagues.

The company’s board had also initiated an independent investigation into whether Huang had been targeted as part of a foreign intelligence operation.

Jensen Huang’s departure marks a major change for Nvidia

Huang co-founded Nvidia in 1993 alongside Curtis Priem and Chris Malachowsky. Under his leadership, the company evolved from a graphics processing unit manufacturer primarily associated with gaming into a central player in the global AI industry.

Nvidia’s processors have become critical to companies developing and operating artificial intelligence systems, making the company one of the most influential businesses in the technology sector.

His departure also comes at a crucial time for Nvidia, with investors closely watching the company’s leadership transition and its ability to maintain its position in the rapidly expanding AI market.

India and Canada discussed advancing negotiations on a proposed trade agreement as the two countries seek to strengthen their economic and commercial ties.

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal met Canada’s Minister of International Trade Maninder Sidhu, who is leading a Canadian delegation to India. The discussions focused on advancing negotiations for the proposed India-Canada Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).

The proposed pact is aimed at creating greater market access and opening up new opportunities for trade and investment between the two countries.

India-Canada CEPA talks

Both sides discussed the importance of a balanced and mutually beneficial agreement that can make use of the complementary strengths of the two economies.

The discussions also focused on deepening commercial engagement and creating new opportunities for businesses in both countries.

Goyal said the two sides reaffirmed their commitment to taking the India-Canada economic partnership to a higher level, with CEPA serving as a catalyst for deeper commercial engagement.

India and Canada are working towards concluding the CEPA negotiations by the end of 2026.

India-Canada trade

The proposed CEPA is aimed at improving market access and creating opportunities across sectors while strengthening the broader economic relationship between India and Canada.

The agreement is expected to provide greater opportunities for businesses in both countries and support deeper trade and investment ties.